Rafa Valls will not finally be at the start of the 2010 Vuelta a España on Saturday. Despite the Spaniard being one of the leaders of the FOOTON-SERVETTO squad for the big Spanish stagerace, physical disorders from fever and diarrhea starting last week did not go off his body, as the team and the rider ifself were expecting. “We’ve waited for it to be got over until the very last minute, because we thought it was a simple flu that would last for few days, but fever is not going down and I feel dead tired,” a dissapointed Valls commented. “It’s not the best way to head into a three-week stagerace and I don’t want to steal a spot from a teammate to end up abandoning in the second stage.”

The symptoms and the first medical checks on the Spaniard point to a likely mononucleosis, even though a deep analysis taken by Valls on Wednesday morning should reveal the final diagnose. “After my performance in the Tour de France, I had big hopes to shine also in the Vuelta, but we’ve got to be sensible and I can’t race a course like that with my physical status. We have to wait for the analysis to confirm the mononucleosis and then see if I can ride on during this season or closing it down.” The place into the team by the Valencian youngster will be taken by Australia’s Johnnie Walker, who will be one of the youngest riders to take the start in the 2010 Vuelta a España at the age of 23.